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What’s the story?
During today’s Pro Wrestling NOAH: Navigation with Emerald Spirits show at the Korakuen Hall, it was announced that WWE superstar Hideo Itami will face Japanese Pro Wrestling legend Naomichi Marufuji upon his return to NOAH later this year.
In case you didn’t know…
Prior to signing with the WWE in 2014, Japanese sensation Hideo Itami was formerly known as Kenta Kobayashi competed for top Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he is a former one-time GHC Heavyweight Champion and a three-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion as well.
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During his stint with NOAH, Itami also competed for American promotion Ring of Honor Wrestling, before arriving on WWE’s developmental promotion NXT in 2014.
The heart of the matter
It was initially reported by The Wrestling Observer that Hideo Itami is apparently all set to make a grand return to his home promotion NOAH later this year, for the very first time since 2014 and as per confirmed on today’s NOAH: Navigation with Emerald Spirits show, the former GHC Heavyweight Champion will indeed make his return to Japan and as part of Naomichi Marufuji’s Debut 20th Anniversary show.
Both Itami and Marufuji are no strangers to each other, given the fact that the two men were formerly part of a Junior Tag Team in NOAH and were also the inaugural GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions—a reign that saw them hold the Jr. Tag Titles for a staggering 690 days. And upon Itami’s return to NOAH, his forthcoming bout against the evergreen Marufuji promises to be a stellar showdown between two of NOAH’s all-time best.
What’s next?
Naomichi Marufuji’s Debut 20th Anniversary Commemorative Event will take place on the 1st of September at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan and as confirmed, the main event for the show will be WWE’s Hideo Itami going head-to-head against Naomichi Marufuji.
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